Spring-forming machine



(N0 MOaeL E. D. OLIN.

SPRING FORMING MACHINE.

No. 417,272.. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVIN D. OLIN, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.

SPRING-FORMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,272, dated December 17, 1889.

I Application filed April 25, 1889. Serial No. 308,519. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN D. OLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machincs for forming the plates or leaves of springs, such as are used upon vehicles.

Its object is to rapidlybend and shape the leaves uniformly, so that all plates of any particular kind may be interchangeably used, and where the springs are the same shape upon opposite sides of the center the plates may be reversed end for end and fit equally well, thus avoiding the necessity of fitting the several leaves in sets and marking them in order to insure their coming in the proper position.

The object is also to provide for the ready removal of a broken plate and its replacement by a new one without special fitting.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the several parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views.

In connection with these drawings, the invention will be first described with such accuracy as to enable any one skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, and will then be particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an edge elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of one of the roll-carriers and springforming rolls. Fig. I is a diagram illustrating different means of gearing the driving-shaft and cam-shafts. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in partial section, of the means for raising and lowering the wheel-carriers. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of my improved wheel-head, the wheelcarriers being thrown outwardly for the purpose of removing the formed plate from the 'form and placing upon it a blank to be formed.

shaft 0, which is journaled in plumber-blocks O, secured upon the frame A near one end. The connecting-rod D couples the cross-head and wrist-pin of the crank-shaft in the usual manner.

Upon the end of the shaft 0 which projects beyond the rear side of the bed-plate A is secured the belt-pulley E and the two sprocket-wheels F G, which transmit motion to the cam-shafts f 9 through the drive-chains f g and the s procket-wheels F G, which are secured upon the camshaft-s f g. These camshafts have their bearings in hangers f g which are secured to the under side of the frame A. The cross-head B rests upon slides 19, secured upon the frame A. The guide-bars b, which are secured upon hollow posts or collars b bear upon the upper and outer reduced ends of the cross-head B, hold it in place and guide it truly in its movements. The wheel-head B is bolted to the cross-head B, and has at each end vertically-sliding boxes B in which the wheel-carriers H are pivoted. The boxes B may be elevated and lowered by the screws b Each end of the wheel-head is similar to the tool-head now in use upon the ordinary metal Fshaperg but the pivoted or swinging carriers II are provided with grooved wheels instead of the toolholders used upon the shaper.

Upon the side of the frame A and in the path of the rolls h is pivoted the form I, the face of which is the shape of the spring-plate to be bent and formed. A pin *5 projects up centrally from the face of the form to enter the central bolt-hole in the spring-plate and hold it while the rolls h are acting upon it.

' In order to prevent the spring-plate being formed from raising at the point while being chilled, spring-fingers b are secured uponthe sides of the form at each end, between which the ends of the plate are pressed by the operation of forming.

Upon each of the shafts g and f are secured cams J, which alternately elevate the opposite end of the form to bring the spring-plate being shaped under the action of the rolls h. The cams J are so arranged upon their shafts that one begins to press its end of the form about the time the other is turned away from its end.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cann-shafts are rotated by independent drive-chains gf, one of which 9" is crossed, so that the shafts revolve in opposite directions; but the shafts g f may be geared to the shaft 0 by a single drive chain, as seen in Fig. 4, which shows two methods of gearing the shafts together. In the one method (shown in full line) the single chain belt q passes around the sprocketwheels G and G and over the sprocket-wheel F. In the form shown in part full and part dotted line the chain passes around the sprockets G, G, and G and over sprocket F. The bearings of the idler G may be made adj ustable, so that the chain may be tightened or slackened, as desired.

Vith the form I shown the machine is adapted to form one of the leaves of the ordinary elliptic or semi-elliptic springs for buggies, carriages, &c., it being of course understood that a different form and different cams are to be used for each shape and size of spring -plate. The required shape of the cams will be readily applied by the skilled mechanic. It is understood that the rollers h move in a horizontal plane and the cams must be so shaped and timed in their movements as to bring the form holding the plate in contact with the roll as it passes, the proper pressure being given to press the plate to the form by means of the adj Listing-screw Z)".

In the position of the machines shown in the drawings the roller hat the left-hand side of the cross-head has completed about one half of its travel from the center toward the left-hand end of the for1n,the machine-shafts traveling in the direction indicated by the arrows. \Vhen the cross-head reaches the limit of its stroke to the left, the wheel upon the right-hand side has reached a little beyond the vertical center of the form. Upon the return-stroke to the right the high part of the cam J upon the left will have passed and released that end of the form, and the leading end of the other cam will have engaged the opposite end of the 'form I. As the motion to the right is continued, the rollerupon the right-hand side of the cross'head bears down and shapes the half of the springplate upon the right-hand side of the form. The spring-plate is thus completely formed.

The heated plate is chilled upon the form by a jet of water turned upon it in the usual manner. Thus, in rolling from the center outward toward each end, the metal is prevented from kinking or buckling, as is the case when pressed between dies, or would be if the rollers acted in the opposite direction.

To remove the now formed plate and place a plate-blank upon the form preparatory to forming it, the wheel-carriers are thrown outward, as seen in Fig. 6. The upper cam ends 72', bearing against the back wall of its housing, hold the carriers out by frictional contact. \Vhen the blank is placed in position, the carriers are thrown down.

As before stated, each end of .the wheelhead is substantially the same and operated in the same manner as the tool-head of the metal-shaper. I am therefore enabled to replace the roll-carriers II by the ordinary toolholder and dress the face of the cast-metal pattern I to the proper shape.

Assuming that the formIshown isforthelong leaf of the spring, now, after a sufficient number of these have been formed, this form and its cams are removed and another form and cams are replaced of the required shape, and a sufficient number of the second plates are formed in the same way as the first ones, and so on until all of the different plates required for any desired number of springs are shaped. The only change necessary to adjust the machine to form the other leaves is to change the form I and cams, and regulate the rolls by means of the screws Z1 It is evident that other well-known means may be used for gearing and connecting the cross-head and form-elevating cams to the driving-shaft, and that sliding inclines may be substituted for the cams shown to elevate and release the ends of the form.

The essential elements of my invention in here in the horizontally-sliding forming-rolls, the pivoted pattern or form for the springleaf blank, and means for bringing the form with its blank under the action of the rolls as the cross-head is reciprocated.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a spring-forming machine of the character herein set forth, the combination of the cross-head B and the wheelcarriers, having wheels arranged upon each end of the head, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a spring-forming machine, of the horizontally-sliding wheelhead, carrying forming-wheel carriers at its opposite ends, and a plate-carrying form arranged to vibrate in the path of the formingwheels, whereby each half of the plate-blank is alternately brought under the action of the roll upon its side of the machine and rolled down from center to end, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a spring-forming machine, the combination of the bed-plate, the cross-head arranged to slide thereon, the wheel-head secured upon the cross-head, the wheel-carriers mounted in said wheel-head, the blank-holding form I, pivoted to reciprocate in the path of said rolls, and means, such as shown and described, to bring the blank upon said form under the action of said rolls, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the bed-plate A, the horizontally-reciprocating cross-head B the forming-rolls 7L, carried thereby, the pivoted form I, the cam-shafts and cams J, secured thereon to alternately elevate the opposite ends of the form in the path of the actingroll, the crank-shaft and rod connecting it to the sliding cross-head, the sprocket-wheels upon the crank and cam shafts, and drivechains gearing them together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

thereof, the 1'o1ls71-,jou1na1edin said carriers,

5. The combination, in a spring-forming and suitable means, such as shown,to impart machine, of the cross-head B, the swinging motion to said crosshead and cams, substan- 1o roll-carriers II, pivoted upon opposite ends tially as specified.

T theserewsb ,foradjustingsaidroilsvertioaily, IN OLIN' the vibrating form I, pivoted beneath said Witnesses: oross-head,the cams J .J arranged to bear alter- MARY L. l\IURRAY, nately upon the opposite ends of said form, FRANK L. MILLWARD. 

